A few weeks back I posted a thread about my first attempt at honing. Other than a small chip, that little KAMA was simple to hone and came out very sharp.

My 2nd honing attempt has not been quite so simple.

I picked up three antique store razors this week: an Oxford, a Lee's Warranted, and a Keen Kutter.

I decided to try the Oxford first. It had some minor chipping in the bevel, so I followed the advice in a thread I found here, and I dulled/killed the edge to get a fresh start.

After that, I couldn't seem to set a good bevel. It just wouldn't get sharp. I found a vid online which suggested that old razors tend to have worn spines, so multiple layers of tape can be necessary. I tried 3 layers of tape, and suddenly it started to sharpen up.

I have Naniwa hones, and took it through the 1k, 5k, 8k, 12k, and then Shapton 16k. I finished with .5 and .25 diamond spray, and then some stropping. It was popping arm hairs and felt sharp, so I tried shaving with it.

Unfortunately, while it can shave, it certainly wasn't the best shave. The KAMA I honed a few weeks back cuts through whiskers much more efficiently.

So what's the next step for this not-quite shave ready razor? The 3 layers of tape apparently worked, do I try that again and continue to try to set a better bevel? Should I try some of the higher grit stones and just try to refine it somewhat? Experiment with another layer of tape (or one less) to see what happens?

Also, is there a way to tell how far a spine has been worn, and how many layers of tape might be needed, or is that a trial and error situation? For example, is there a standard spine width, and is there a relationship between spine and blade width to get a proper bevel angle?

Thanks!